History of the english language

OLD ENGLISH DIALECTS AND WRITTEN RECORDS
As we know OE scribes used two kinds of letters: the runes and the letters of the Latin alphabet. Like any alphabetic writing, OE writing was based on a phonetic principle: every letter indicated a separate sound. Some of OE letters indicated two or more sounds, according to their positional variants in the word.
The principal written records that came to us through the centuries date from as far back as the 8th century. They were written with the help of the so-called "Runic Alphabet". This was an alphabet of some 26 letters, the shape of which is quite peculiar:
We have already said that it is assumed the Runic alphabet was composed by Germanic scribes in the II—III centuries AD.
The word "rune" meant "mystery", and those letters were originally considered to be magic signs known to very few people, mainly monks, and not understood by the vast majority of the illiterate population. Among the first Old English runic inscriptions we generally mention two: the inscription on the so-called "Franks' casket" — a small box made of whalebone containing a poem about it', and the inscription on the "Ruthwell cross" — a religious poem engraved on a stone cross found in Scotland.
In the 7th century the Christian faith was introduced and with it there came many Latin-speaking monks who brought with them their own Latin alphabet.
The Latin alphabet was used by the majority of the people who could read and write. It ousted (аустыд – выгонять) the Runic alphabet. But the Latin alphabet could not denote all the sounds in the English
This alphabet that is a combination of the Latin alphabet with runes and some other innovations is called "insular writing" (островной), i.e. the alphabet typical of the Isles. The majority of Old English records are written in this insular alphabet.
Ruthwell Cross, a religions poem on a tall stone cross near the village of Ruthwell in South-East Scotland.
Ruthwell Cross, cross bearing an important runic inscription in the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) language, from Ruthwell in the historic county of Dumfriesshire, Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland. The cross, which is an excellent example of Northumbrian art of the early 8th century, stands more than 18 feet (5.5 metres) high. Entirely religious in nature, it is carved with Gospel scenes and twining vines, as well as 18 verses of The Dream of the Rood, written entirely in runic letters. The inscription has linguistic significance because it contains six runic symbols indicating guttural sounds, whereas the Scandinavians employed only one or two. Much of the inscription is also copied in Latin. The Ruthwell Cross is similar in style to the Bewcastle Cross found in neighbouring Cumbria.